Freedom of Information
The Freedom of Information Act 2000
(
FOIA) gives a public right of access to
information held by public bodies, and places obligations on public
bodies to release the information on request if it is not subject
to an exemption.
Who can make a Freedom of Information request?
Everyone has the right to request information
held by any local authority. In most cases you will be sent the
requested information within 20 working days unless there is a
specific reason not to send it, in this case it will be considered
‘exempt’ under one of the exemptions set out in the Freedom of
Information Act (for example, if the requested information includes
personal information).
Is it free of charge?
As long as the information requested won’t
take too long to gather, this service is free. If your information
will take longer than 18 hours to gather (this time limit is set
out by Freedom of Information Act), your request may be refused, or
a charge might be made. You will be informed of any charges
involved, and can then decide whether to continue with your
request. The team will also attempt to assit you in refining
your request so comes in within the 18 hour rule.
How do I make a request?
Your request must be made in writing (by email
or letter or via this link 
). If you prefer, you can come to a local authority
reception area, and your request can be written down for you. It
must include:
- Your name.
- The address or email address to which you
wish the information to be sent.
- An outline of the information you require.
Give as much detail as possible, including dates, otherwise we may
need to contact you again for clarification.
You then send the letter or
email to the appropriate address.
More information about the Freedom of Information Act can be found
on the Information Commissioners website http://www.ico.gov.uk/.
Redditch Borough Council FOI Statistics
| Month |
Number of
FOI
's |
% answered within 20 working days |
Average number of days to answer an
FOI
|
| July 2011 |
36 |
100 |
8.6 |
| June 2011 |
35 |
100 |
10.5 |
| May 2011 |
38 |
100 |
11.62 |
| April 2011 |
38 |
95 |
13.9 |
| March 2011 |
|
Information not available |
| February 2011 |
37 |
100 |
9.4 |
| January 2011 |
44 |
100 |
8.67 |
| December 2010 |
22 |
100 |
8.04 |
| November 2010 |
28 |
100 |
10.39 |
| October 2010 |
18 |
100 |
10.35 |
| September 2010 |
28 |
93 |
9.71 |
| August 2010 |
28 |
100 |
9.46 |
| July 2010 |
31 |
87 |
15.03 |
| June 2010 |
24 |
83 |
14.17 |
